Standing at the Edge of the Earth
by Perfect-Skye
Summary: I stood at the window looking down on a sight that used to be beautiful and wondered, "What have we done?" Continues after The Awakening. Read Authors note of Chapter 11 if you're confused... I know I am.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Notes**: Hey everyone. So I've now officially read both Darkest Powers books at least 5 times each and almost every Darkest Powers Fan Fiction I can find and figured I might as well give it a shot. I haven't done much writing in a while so I might be a little rusty! Hopefully you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

I woke up with the faint light of the morning sun lying on my feet, warming them. Despite the looming forests bordering the safe house, I had slept like the dead. No pun intended. The result, I'm sure, of too many long nights on the run.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I took a good look at my surroundings. I had been so exhausted last night I hadn't even cared to look where I was laying my head down to sleep. The room rated somewhere above generic and below comfortable, but it was a hell of a lot better than sleeping on concrete flooring.

I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed, toes subconsciously digging into the plush carpeting. Stretching, I stood, and walked over to the window. I squinted as I opened the blinds and the sunlight poured into the room. I couldn't help but stare, it was beautiful. I was surprised at how high the sun was in the sky, it must have been nearly noon already.

A sharp knock on the door snapped me from my stupor. "Chloe, its Derek, you awake?" I heard Derek all but whisper on the other side of the door.

"Yeah, I'm up. Come on in!" I replied, giving him a smile and a 'good morning' as he opened the door.

One gruff 'good morning' later and he informed me that Andrew wanted the four of us to head down to the kitchen for a little breakfast and a meeting.

"Thanks, tell him I'll be right down." I said. Derek nodded and left, shutting the door behind him. I turned and noticed for the first time that I would no longer have to share a bathroom. Eager to exploit this new opportunity I walked in and checked my reflection in the mirror. Maybe it was the sleep or washing some of the extra dye out, but I looked healthier. Less scary. I quickly ran my hands through my hair and splashed water in my face and headed out into the hall.

Once there I realized I had a slight problem. I had _no _idea where the kitchen was. I didn't even know the general direction! To my left were two staircases, one heading up and the other down. To my right was yet another staircase heading up. How I wished I had Derek's hearing, or even his sense of smell. Taking a wild guess I turned to my left. Most kitchens were on the first floor right? Once I got to the top of the stairwell I could smell eggs and bacon cooking and the sound of people talking quietly. My stomach grumbled, the incentive I needed to skip down the stairs two at a time.

Taking a whiff of the delicious smell of breakfast, I forgot to watch my feet and tripped on a slight crack in one of the boards. I mentally cursed my clumsiness as I prepared for the bone-jarring crash I could almost feel coming. Only it didn't.

"Watch it! You need to be more careful!"

I smiled up at Derek, a slight blush creeping onto my cheeks. "Sorry!" I said as I righted myself. I fiddled with my shirt, straightening it and dusting off imaginary dirt, anything to avoid looking him in the eye, I knew he was smirking and I would dearly love to wipe it off his face. So he caught me, so what? No big deal right? That's what I thought! "You going to move so I can get something to eat, or are you just going to stand there?" I snapped.

Derek just chuckled as he stepped out of my way and followed me into the kitchen.

I stopped short and heard an _'Ooff'_ as Derek walked into my back. I smiled, glad for a moment, that I wasn't the only one that ever happened to. I took a slow step into the room and ten faces turned to look at me, I recognized three, the rest I didn't.

"Well good morning sleepy head! I thought we might have to start without you!" Andrew said, gesturing around at all the smiling faces. I smiled back nervously.

"Madhouse Mach II" Derek muttered as he slipped by me and joined Simon at the table.

**Authors Note**: So that was the first chapter… Hopefully you liked it and even if you didn't reviews would be nice, as this is my first Fan Fiction in a while and my first Darkest Powers one. I'm trying really hard to match my writing style to Kelley's but if you have any pointers I'd be glad to hear 'em. Also, I'm currently writing without a beta and although Word catches a lot of my mistakes it wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes. If anyone is interested, let me know! Thanks for reading!

P.S. Sorry about the shortness, I felt this was a good place to cut it off… Hopefully the next chapter will be longer

~Perfect_Skye


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note**: So I'm back again with another chapter, and as I promised, this one is a little longer. I'd like to give a heartfelt thank-you to the people who reviewed or messaged me about chapter one. I'd also like to thank my new Beta, Vampiress014, for being awesome! Hopefully you all enjoy chapter two!

**Disclaimer**: If I owned anything I would not be writing this on a silly computer that keeps crashing down around my ears.

"_Madhouse Mach II" Derek muttered as he slipped by me and joined Simon at the table._

For the second time in as many minutes, I found myself blushing and trying to duck the attention I just naturally attract. _Why me?_ I questioned, as I flopped down into the chair beside Tori and shot a glare at Derek, who was still smirking.

"So this morning I figured we could make a few introductions, keep things light," Andrew started. "These," he said, again gesturing to the people sitting around the table, "are your new house-mates! Our newest additions, as you are all aware, come to us from Lyle House, one of the Edison Group's main projects. They are Victoria, or Tori, who's a Witch, Chloe is a Necromancer, across from Chloe is Simon who's a Sorcerer, and Derek is a shape shifter- a Werewolf, actually." A few people gasped quietly and turned to stare at Derek. I noticed the older woman next to Andrew turn to her right and whisper something about 'not letting the dangerous ones in.' I turned my attention back to Derek and saw a dark look come across his face. Of course he had heard. The look was only there for a second, however, before his front was back in place.

Andrew carried on as if nothing had happened. "To my right," he gestured to the woman who had whispered, "is Faye, she is also a Witch. Next to Faye we have Cari, who is a Hygra, or water, half-demon. Next is Rowan, an Agro, or earth, half-demon," Rowan smiled and nodded, "Then there's Austin, a Sorcerer, Chaim, a Necromancer…" I looked up from the empty plate in front of me and caught Chaim looking at me. He wasn't what I had expected. He was probably somewhere in his late fifties and had quiet, searching eyes. Uncomfortable, I turned away to watch Andrew as he finished off the introductions, "…Neah, who's an Agito, and finally Brendan, an Exustio."

The four of us mumbled 'hello's', and I, for one, looked nervously around the table. When no one offered any topic of conversation Andrew cleared his throat, "I guess now's as good a time as any for breakfast, so dig in everyone!"

After a few minutes of plates and cutlery clinking, overly-polite could-you-please-pass-these, and thank you's, Rowan, who seemed to be the youngest outside of our group, turned to Derek, "So Derek, whatcha bench pressing these days? 200, 250?" Derek choked on a large bite of toast and turned a bright shade of crimson. Coughing to clear his throat, he answered nervously, "Well, *_cough*_ I've never actually tested it." I laughed; I couldn't help it! The idea of gym-buff Derek was too funny. Or, at least it was until he shot me a look that would have made even André the Giant back down.

Rowan chuckled, "I'm just shittin' you, man! It's nice to meet y'all. I was getting pretty sick of all the old fogies in this place. It's about damn time I have some company that won't complain about their bum hip." He smiled and I could practically feel Tori swooning beside me. He was pretty good-looking I had to admit, a little old for me, but good-looking all the same. He was about Derek's size with long, curly red-brown hair and clear blue eyes.

Already more at ease, I turned to Rowan, "So, if you don't mind me asking, as an Agro, what kind of powers do you have?" I asked, curious.

"Well mostly I control the earth element, meaning I can cause earth-quakes, make tress grow, change terrain. Not well mind you. My quakes are more like glorified tremors and I couldn't raise a mountain to save my life. The plant thing I'm pretty good at though… that's where the produce we use here comes from," he stated as he shined an apple on his sleeve and took a bite. "Oh, I also get a little bit of a physical power boost, although nothing, I'm sure, compared to Fido over here." He paused and cocked an eyebrow inquisitively, "What's with her?"

I nudged Tori, whose head was resting on her palms, elbows on the table; the resulting jump was proof that she had, in fact, been staring. A blush crept up her cheeks as she laughed nervously and quickly changed the subject.

Outside of our conversation, I could hear the adults chatting about this and that and took yet another look around the table, not really seeing. All I could think of was how normal and comfortable this felt, almost like a family. I smiled and turned back to the conversation between Rowan and Tori.

"Not that this mindless chit-chat isn't fascinating and all, but I'm just wondering when we're actually going to get down to business. You know, finding my dad, taking down the Edison Group?" Simon, who had been unusually quiet all morning, spoke above the rest of us. The sudden comment snapped all attention on to him. I hadn't noticed, but looking at him now I couldn't help but see the scowl on his face. What was going on? Normally Derek was the belligerent one.

"Simon," Derek hissed, as he shot his brother a warning glance.

"Don't you 'Simon' me!" plates clattered as Simon stood suddenly, "We've been waiting for this chance for so long, and I know this isn't what you wanted to hear either. You want answers just like me. So what's the great plan Andrew? When do we start?"

All that answered him was silence. Obviously angry, Simon muttered something about not being very hungry and stormed out of the kitchen. We all heard, and winced, as he slammed the door to his room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the drama king of New York State," Derek sighed as he stood, took one last longing look at the food on the table, and grudgingly followed his brother up the stairs.

**Authors Note**: So, there's chapter two up and posted… Sorry if Simon seems a little OOC… He won't always act that way… I'm just trying to think of how frustrated he'd be and put that together with what we know of Simon's character. I also thought I'd put a bit of an explanation in about the character names and the 'class' names.

Faye/Austin – Magic

Cari – Flows like Water

Rowan – A type of tree that is quite strong

Chaim – Life

Neah – Cautious movement

Brendan - Flame

As for the classes, the ones that are not explained in the novels are the Greek words for their respective elements. (Hygra – Water, Agro – Earth) I'm not sure if they actually exist in Kelley's world. If they do and they have a different name, let me know and I'll change them.

Thanks for reading, review if you want… they are always appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:** I'm SO sorry this took so long to update! The weekend and the rest of this week have been CRAZY for me. What with work, Fathers Day, my sister leaving, my step-brother's grad, and my computer crashing I haven't had much time to write anything… but hopefully now I'll be able to pick up the pace from here on in! Also, I know the chapters so far have been a little Plot-Less, I was trying my hand at writing the characters… from now on it'll be all plot! (Well, mostly plot with a little bit of extras thrown in here and there!)

**Disclaimer:** I still own nothing… although I'm thinking of purchasing Derek's scowl on E-Bay…

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, the drama king of New York State," Derek sighed as he stood, took one last longing look at the food on the table, and grudgingly followed his brother up the stairs._

Despite it's large size, with Simon's attitude, the house felt far too small for the number of people calling it home. Whatever Derek had said to him, it hadn't worked that well. Although Simon did make an appearance at lunch, it was short and uncomfortable, everyone biting their tongues. (Except Rowan, of course, who was making cricket noises.)

I was glad for the chance to escape after lunch, taking a self-guided tour around the grounds of the house, honing my senses. I had just found my way into the forest when I heard someone stomping through the underbrush. Great, Simon had followed me out here. I turned around and saw not Simon, but Derek, scowling and obviously not paying any attention. When he got within 10 feet of me he stopped short, a look of shock crossing his face.

"Where did you come from?" He asked gruffly.

"You want the long version or the short one?" I replied, turning away. I wasn't ready to put up with his attitude.

"Hey, wait up!" He called, cursing when I didn't stop. My disobedience was useless, however, as he caught up to me in a few strides. "You shouldn't be out here by yourself."

"Then why were you coming out here by yourself?" I asked pointedly, only sparing him a glance as I clamored over a fallen log.

"I think I can handle myself out here, thank you" he replied, watching me as I stumbled a bit.

"Despite what you might think, I can take care of myself just fine!"

Derek snorted at that and sat himself calmly on the log I had just struggled to get over. I shot him a look, and then shrieked as I walked into a spider's web, causing Derek to burst out laughing. I'll give him credit; he did _try _to hold it back.

I sighed and flopped down next to him on the log. "You never answered my question you know…"

"Hmmm?" He had is eyes closed and his face turned towards the sun.

"Why _did_ you come out here?"

He opened one eye and looked at me. "For the same reason as you, I guess… just needed to get out of the house. It's hard to ignore the awkwardness when you're rooming with the cause of it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized, not quite sure what I was apologizing for.

In typical Derek fashion he just shrugged it off.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could hear birds twittering and got lost in the sound.

"It's beautiful out here isn't it?" I jumped; I'd forgotten Derek was sitting beside me. He just chuckled.

Ignoring him, I nodded and looked around. The sunlight streaming through the trees was getting weaker; it was still early spring, and the sun was starting to go down. "I guess we should head inside." After a grunt of agreement from Derek, we stood together. He helped me over the log and followed me as I walked back towards the house in silence.

"There you guys are!" I looked up from my feet and saw Tori striding towards us. "We've been looking for you everywhere! The group is going into a meeting; they want us to meet them in the study, like, 5 minutes ago!"

A short jaunt up to the house and down a long corridor led us to the study. Like Lyle House, the study looked as if it was trying too hard to be cozy. Two long red sofas faced each other, and four cream wing-backed chairs flanked them on either side. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a desk in the far corner had one of those stereotypical green lamps that all studies seemed to have.

Simon was already there, singling himself out and sitting in one of the chairs, bound and determined to ignore us. The three of us sat down next to Rowan on one of the couches, and he gave us a smile.

"Now that _everyone_ is here…" an ill-tempered Faye started.

"Ah, yes! To the reason I called you all up here," Andrew continued, looking flustered. "Obviously, the faster we retaliate against the Edison Group, the less prepared they will be. Naturally, we need to train and be as prepared as we can, but I believe that quick, affirmative action is our best, and only, course."

At Andrew's comment, Simon sat up a little straighter and stared intently at Andrew.

"Andrew, if you don't mind me saying, I think it would be best if we heard the young ones' stories before we jump too far ahead with the planning."

"Ah, yes, thank you Brendan, I was just about to say that myself," Andrew replied, looking around the room. "As you know, these four have been through quite a lot these last few months, and once their stories have been told, you will all have a better understanding of the type of monsters we're up against!"

I stiffened slightly at that last statement and vaguely noticed Derek look down at me. _Monsters?_ Sure Davidoff deserved that term, and Mrs. Enright, but how much did the others really know? Was Aunt Lauren one of those monsters? Would anyone think twice about her? And what about Rae? She sold us out, but she didn't deserve to be hurt.

I was snapped out of my thoughts, once again by Derek, who was nudging me as discreetly as possible.

"Chloe?" I looked up and saw that everyone in the room was looking at me. "You know most parts of the story… would you mind telling it to everyone?"

I nodded and paused for a moment, wondering where to start.

I told them everything – well, almost everything. Many parts were difficult to re-live, but when I got to the part about the Edison Group terminating unsuccessful subjects, I couldn't find the words.

"How do you know that they were actually killing subjects?" Cari asked. Everyone turned to stare blankly at her. When I didn't answer, Andrew stepped in, "Chloe is a Necromancer, the spirit of this terminated subj…."

"Her name was Liz!" I jumped slightly at Tori's outburst, "Her name was Liz, and she was a good friend." Her statement had slowly lost the power it had when she started, and I noticed tears welling up in her eyes. I dropped my hand to my side, found hers, and gave it a squeeze. There was silence for a moment before I continued. Derek and Tori followed me, adding their own experiences.

After we had all finished, Andrew clapped his hand together, "So, now that we all have heard what we're up against, I just want to say a few words." He stood, walked around his chair and rested his hands on the back, "This fight is going to be hard, and we're going to need all the help we can get, especially from you four," He looked at us with a sad smile on his face, "It has been quite a while since any of us have been a part of this group, and you know the inner workings much better than us at this point. I know it will be difficult for all of you; we will prepare you as best we can, but I have to ask… Are you ready to take the fight back to the Edison Group?"

"I'm ready!" I turned quickly and looked at Simon. He was standing, a determined glint in his eye, "This may be my only chance to find out what happened to my Dad, and my only chance for justice. They _must_ pay! No mercy."

Andrew smiled, "No mercy." The others joined in, those two words becoming a chant, a mantra. I looked around and was glad to see that I was not the only one who was not joining in. A strange feeling had developed in my gut, I couldn't name it, but I knew it was _not_ a good feeling.

**Authors Not**e: So that was Chapter 3, hopefully it was alright. I'm slowly getting into the actual plot line now, which is a good thing, but it also means there will be even less of the Derek/Chloe stuff… If you have any comments or suggestions, good or bad, I'd be glad to hear 'em. I'd like to thank those who helped me out with some of the class names and hopefully they are all up to snuff now. Thanks for reading!

~P


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note:** So here it is… I typed this up like mad man… woman?... so that I could have it up before I go on my trip to Saskatchewan. I had originally planned this chapter to be longer, but if I had put in all the event it would have probably been around 6000 words, and it wouldn't be up for a while… so this time shortness is good! Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **As I couldn't find 'Derek's Scowl' on EBay… I still own nothing.

_A strange feeling had developed in my gut, I couldn't name it, but I knew it was not a good feeling._

The meeting was over, but I couldn't bring myself to leave the room. I just sat on the same couch, in the same position for what felt like hours. Simon had answered for all of us; but I, for one, was _not _ready for this fight. I was _terrified_! I'm sure the others were at least a little anxious, but I couldn't ignore the vague feeling that this was not the right way to go.

I pulled my feet up onto the couch and wrapped my arms around my legs. Staring blankly ahead, I didn't notice that Rowan had walked into the room until he flopped down beside me on the couch.

"You nervous?" He asked, looking straight ahead. I nodded, although I wasn't sure he could see. Whether he did or not, he continued anyways, "Yeah me too. I have friends who still work for them. They're good people; they're just on the wrong path." He turned his head and looked at me, "They're not monsters." I looked up at him and smiled, glad that I had at least one person on my side.

The silence that followed was thick and heavy, but strangely comforting. Rowan had just opened his mouth to say something when my stomach rumbled, quite loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten much all day. I felt a blush creep up my face as Rowan burst out laughing.

Rowan stood and held his hand out to help me up. "We'd better get some food in you or Derek will have my head on a platter!" I looked up at him, my confusion showing on my face. He just shrugged as I took his hand and he hauled me off the couch, ushering me towards the door.

We had barely made it to the door when it opened and Simon walked in. When he saw me and Rowan, a look passed across his face, but his trade-mark smile was back in no time. "Hey Chloe, can I talk to you for a bit?"

"Yeah, sure, Simon," I turned to Rowan, "You go find out when supper is going to be ready and let me know." He nodded, smiled at Simon and left the room, closing the door behind him. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Can we sit?" Simon gestured to the couch I had just left. I really had no desire to sit back down again; I had just regained feeling in my legs, but I nodded anyways and flopped down heavily. Simon sat next to me and remained quiet for a moment. I didn't pressure him. He would talk when he was ready. He took a deep breath, looked at me, and quickly looked away again. What was going on with him lately? He didn't normally act this way. He mumbled something that I couldn't quite catch; making me wish, not for the first time that day, that I had Derek's super-hearing.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?" I prodded gently, hoping it might give him a little courage.

"I said 'I'm sorry'. I'm sorry that I've been acting kind of crazy today, but I'm sure you know how excited I am! We're so close I can almost taste it!" The smile on his face was as wide as it ever had been, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Anyways, that's not why I came up here," He started, looking away again. My curiosity was getting the better of me, and if he didn't spit out whatever he was planning on telling me soon, I might just shake it out of him. "What I wanted to say was that… that I think that we have something between us. Chemistry or whatever they call it. And I just wanted you to know that I like you." He looked up at me, his eyes searching mine, "I _really_ like you, Chloe, and I think that we should go out. Sometime soon."

_What? _Apparently subtlety was not one of Simon's strong suits, or timing; just as thinking on my feet wasn't one of mine. I just sat there, staring. "Chloe?" I shook myself and looked him in the eyes and smiled. He smiled back.

Next thing I knew, he was leaning in closer to me. When his face was barely an inch from mine, he closed his eyes, and I knew what was coming. His lips touched mine and shock jolted through me. Hundreds of thoughts were racing through my mind, a few profanities thrown in here and there for good measure. Since when was a smile an invite to kiss someone? This really wasn't the best time for this; Simon had to know that… Didn't he?

I pulled apart from him sharply and tried my best not to look too shocked. "Ummm… Thanks, Simon, but this really isn't the best time to start something. There's a huge war coming, and we need to be focused on that." I slid a little further from him.

"I know! That's why this is such a great time!" He closed the gap between us again and rested his hand on my thigh. "Any amount of happiness right now is going to be the best thing for us, all of us."

"Simon," I sighed, standing quickly. I raised my voice slightly; "I can't do this right now. I have too many things on my mind."

"Like what? I can help!" Simon stood as well, constantly trying to get closer to me.

"Only you're not helping! You and your attitude aren't helping at all!" I hadn't meant to speak as loudly or as sharply as I had, and Simon's stricken look made me feel even worse. That is, until he got angry.

"My attitude? I'm sorry if you don't think that the Edison Group needs to be taken down, that we deserve a little justice!" I flinched, not doubting that the whole house would be able to hear us if we kept it up.

I lowered my voice, "This war isn't 'justice' Simon, its vengeance." As I turned to walk away, I heard Simon mumble something else, but I decided that I didn't want to hear it; I had heard enough.

And apparently so had Derek. As I stepped out of the room, ducking to hide the tears that were already threatening to fall, I found my path abruptly blocked by a large chest. I looked up and saw the scowl fade. "I heard you guys 'talking'; I was coming up to tell you to keep it down. Are you okay?" All of this was said rather quickly, Derek looking at his feet, giving me time to wipe the tears out of my eyes and control myself.

I nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine; just a little hungry. Do you know if supper is ready yet?" I looked him in the eyes, silently begging him to drop it. At first I thought he wouldn't, but after a moment of silence, he just shrugged and mumbled something about checking. He shot one more irritated look at the study door and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

I sighed and walked in the opposite direction. Once I was far enough away from the study, I pressed my back up against the wall and slid down to the floor. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I was shocked. Not about the fight, although that was pretty bad, but about the kiss. That was what I wanted, right? I liked Simon, or at least I thought I did. But that kiss? I hadn't felt anything. Was that 'feeling' only there in sappy chick-flicks? Or was I supposed to recognize it in real life too?

I banged the back of my head against the wall to clear my thoughts, but all it did was make my head hurt more. Did it really matter all that much that it wasn't my dream first kiss? I was stuck in the middle of a war that I may not even see the other end of, and all I could think about was my love life. What I had said to Simon was true; I didn't have time for this! With a new resolve to put romance on the back burner until my life fell back into place, I stood and walked slowly towards the kitchen, taking time to look around corners, desperately trying to avoid another confrontation.

I walked into the kitchen, where a strange event was taking place. Rowan, Derek and Simon were all sitting around the table silently. Simon was glaring at Rowan, and Derek was scowling in Simon's direction. Rowan was the only one paying me the slightest bit of attention. "Hey Chloe, supper should be ready in about 10 minutes."

I smiled and sat down next to him, which made Simon narrow his eyes slightly, and heard something quiet that sounded somewhat canine. What the hell was going on here? I sighed, all too glad that I had sworn off boys.

**Authors Note:** So hopefully it all seemed believable… I'd like to thank all my reviewers, and encourage more people to review!

PS: Happy Canada Day! 142 years young!

~P


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note:** So chapter 5 is finally up… Please don't shoot me… I'm sorry it took so long! But hopefully it's worth the wait!

**Disclaimer: **I still own nothing…

_What the hell was going on here? I sighed, all too glad that I had sworn off boys._

The night was quiet; too quiet. I could hear Tori's snores through the wall and wished that I could blame my restlessness on them. I had been staring at the ceiling for hours.

I rolled over and looked at the red numbers glaring at me from across the room; mocking me. It was 4:37 in the morning, and I was still awake. Sighing, I turned my back to the clock and closed my eyes, pleading with any God that would listen to let me sleep. A loud creak outside my door made me snap my eyes open again. Every noise in this silence was ten times louder. I heard someone curse quietly as they continued to move slowly through the hall.

Getting out of bed, I pulled a bathrobe tightly around myself and walked to the door. I looked carefully each way down the hall.

A light was coming from upstairs on my right. I turned and followed the light up the stairs, wondering who could be up at this hour. The hall at the end of the stairs was lined with family photo in frames of every size. In the low light I squinted at a few – I recognized no one. There was only one door coming off the short hallway, the slight crack providing the light.

I tiptoed up to the door and peaked inside, my heart pounding in my chest. There, sitting cross-legged on the floor was Chaim. His eyes were closed and his arms were dropped at his sides. I got closer, trying to get a better look at what he was doing. In my haste I accidentally nudged the door, causing it to creak loudly. I held my breath.

Chaim cracked one of his eyes open. "I thought I heard someone out there. Well come in –Chloe, right?"

I nodded as I stepped into the room. "I'm s-s-so sorry! I d-d-didn't mean to i-i-interrupt."

Chaim chuckled quietly, "So you've got the Necromancer's curse, too?" when I stayed quiet he continued, "Sometimes new Necromancers have problems controlling their powers in their sleep – Heck, even experienced ones like me are still nervous to let our minds wander at night."

I sighed quietly, glad that I wasn't the only one who had problems sleeping, "So you've raised bodies in your sleep too?"

"Raised bodies? Lord, no, child. I've just been woken too many times by annoyed spirits who I managed to summon in my sleep. You can raise bodies while asleep?" He looked apprehensively up at me. I nodded. "Well, Andrew says you kids have advanced powers. Come sit with me; let an old man teach you a new trick."

I walked nervously over to him and sat down slowly. "Now close your eyes." I did so. Chaim was silent for a while and I felt my mind wander – What was all this about?

"Focus, Chloe! Keep you mind blank. If it starts to wander, focus on relaxing your toes –one by one – then slowly move to your feet, heals, ankles, legs, knees and so on till you reach your head; then work your way back." I scrunched my brows – was he serious? He remained silent; it couldn't hurt to try right?

So I did, and within minutes I felt my body relaxing and my energy building. It felt marvelous! The longer I worked at it, the easier it was to keep my mind blank and my breathing even.

"Chloe?" I felt a tap on my shoulder and opened my eyes. Chaim was kneeling in front of me, smiling. "Breakfast is ready; I thought you might want some."

"Oh, thanks –for everything." I stood up slowly, surprised at how well rested I felt.

Breakfast was the most welcome sight I'd seen in a while. Fully rested, I took advantage of the surplus of food spread out before me. As I never really ate much, the others looked in shock as I ate plate after plate of food – rivaling even Derek.

Chaim – who had sat down beside me – chuckled, as he piled his plate high with food as well. "Meditating has its way of making a person starving; if they're doing it right."

Derek looked up from his plate and nodded, "The 'therapists' at Lyle House showed me a few forms, but I never really cared for it."

"Well with your appetite…" Tori started nonchalantly.

"Can I have everyone's attention for a bit? I promise after I'm done you can all return to your food." Andrew was standing at the head of the table. All eyes turned to him. "Perfect. Okay, so today we are going to begin our training. The four young ones will pair up with an adult whose job it will be to teach them how to control their powers. I will take on Simon, Faye, you'll be paired up with Tori, Chaim – obviously – you'll go with Chloe…" Andrew paused, looking uncomfortably over at Derek; "Unfortunately we were unable to contact another Werewolf, as they don't normally take kindly to trespassers. I'll keep asking my contacts for information, but for now you'll go with…"

"I'll take the boy. I've come across many of his kind in my time." Chaim shot a small smile at Derek, "As long as these two don't mind sharing, that is."

I looked over at Derek and he seemed a little hesitant, searching my face for a clue as to how I felt. "I'm fine with it, as long as Derek doesn't mind." I smiled.

Derek sighed quietly in relief, "I'm fine with it too."

"I don't know… Are you sure you can handle them both, Chaim?" Andrew asked, as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Just 'cause I'm old doesn't mean I can't handle myself, as you well know, Andrew. But if I have problems, I'll hand Derek off to Rowan for strength training – I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

At the sound of his name Rowan perked up; he had been picking at his nails the whole meeting. "Nope! I don't mind; it'll be fun!" He got an evil glint in his eye as he looked towards Derek. I was pretty sure Rowan wouldn't do anything stupid - about 75% sure anyways.

**Authors Note: **So there you go… I know it's short, but I wanted to stop before we got into the training session… hopefully you won't have to wait as long for the next chapter as you did for this one… I got really sidetracked… summer is a terribly busy time for me…


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors Note:** Because I was so slow with the last chapter, I decided I better bust my butt off to get this chapter up as soon as possible… Hope you enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Everything you recognize belongs to Kelley Armstrong; all I can claim are my original characters. I also borrowed a 'theory' of sorts from L.J. Smith's 'Night World' series about 'circles.'

_I was pretty sure Rowan wouldn't do anything stupid - about 75% sure anyways._

The thought of finally understanding my powers had me in a daze all morning long. I couldn't focus – I could only think about all the questions I had. I had already learnt that it was uncommon to raise bodies while sleeping, but what else could I do that others couldn't? I needed to know just how powerful I was; and if I learnt how to control my powers while I was at it? Even better!

I managed to escape my thoughts of training just by stepping out the front door; as if the warm wind that was coming from the south had whisked them away like fallen leaves. I took a deep breath. Spring had taken its time, but it was finally here. I pulled off my sweater and tied it around my waist as I walked farther from the house.

"Chloe!" I turned and saw Simon sprinting to catch up to me. What now? "Chloe, can we talk?" Simon had reached me and was doubled over slightly, trying to catch his breath. When he regained his posture, I shrugged and continued to walk. Simon matched his pace to mine, "You were right." I looked over at him, slightly confused; "You were right about the timing being off, and I'm sorry if I pushed you. Then again," He got quiet then, and I had to concentrate to hear him; "I'm sorry about a lot of things."

We walked in silence for a while, reaching the woods in no time. Instead of going in, I hovered just before the tree line. Simon took a deep breath, "I talked to Derek, and he said it made sense that you were mad at me. I pushed him further – you know how he is – and he said that you were worried about your Aunt and Rae, and what would happen to them in this war. I hadn't even thought of that. I'm sorry if it seemed like I didn't care about them. I _promise_ I'll do everything I can to make sure they're safe, and the best way to do that is to train hard and get them away from the Edison Group as fast as possible."

I nodded, stiffening slightly as he pulled me into a hug. "I'm glad we talked; I couldn't stand you being mad at me." He pulled away and gave me a smile. "Andrew says I'll be starting in a little while, so I'm going back to the house. Don't stay out here for too much longer; Chaim is bound to be looking for you." He turned away and jogged back to the house, clearly eager to start his training.

I looked longingly at the trees, wishing I could escape in them again. I sighed as I turned towards the house – the trees would have to wait. I walked slowly towards the house and saw Tori storming out the front door – literally! There were thunderheads above her and lightning was crackling around her.

"She's insane! Crazy, off her rocker!" She screamed in frustration.

"Tori, what's wrong?" I grabbed her by the shoulders.

She – of course – ignored me, "Why? Why did I have to get paired with the only person bitchier than me? If this is some sick joke, I swear to god I'll kill Andrew!"

"TORI! What happened?"

"She told me to deflect her spell – and I did – but they ricocheted around her room. She flipped! Screaming about how we were all abominations. Then she used a knock-back spell and sent me flying _through _the door!" She threw her arms up in the air and stomped off further onto the grounds, leaving me standing there, shocked.

I shook my head, adding Faye's attitude to my list of worries as I walked up the front steps.

Chaim had told us to meet him in the meditation room for our 'theory' lessons. I was secretly glad that we weren't doing practical lessons for a while; I figured the more background information I knew, the more I would be able to stay in control.

I walked up the stairs and down the hall, again looking at the photos that hung there. Once inside the small room, I realized that I was the last one there. Chaim was sitting on a cushion in the center of the room – like he had been last night – and Derek stood against the wall, looking hesitantly over at Chaim. I smiled at Derek and sat down on one of the two remaining cushions on the floor, waving him over to the other.

"So, now that both my pupils are here, I can start with the teaching. Today I'm just going to explain a little bit about the Supernatural world. Derek – I'm sure you've heard some of this from Kit, but there may be plenty you have not heard, so I urge you to pay close attention." I looked over at Derek. From the look on his face, he was as focused as I was. "As you both know, there are very few Supernaturals in this world and they are divided into 4 elementary groups: Spellcasters, Half-Demons, Shapeshifters and Necromancers. What you may not know is that we are divided even further into what are called circles. There are three circles that we can be part of: Circle Twilight, Circle Midnight, and Circle Daybreak. Twilight is for those of us who seek truth, wisdom and the unity of all races. Midnight is for those focused on power and discrimination. I don't know much about Circle Daybreak, only that it is a new rising power. Circles were first derived for Spellcasters, but in this age, most Supernaturals belong to a Circle. I am part of Circle Twilight, as are the other residents here."

I was desperately trying to follow; it was a lot of information to take in.

"You must choose a Circle at the age of maturity, but you may always switch if your mind set is changed. Both of you are reaching the age of maturity now, which is why you must be prepared."

I shivered, "So the members of the Edison Group are part of Circle Midnight?"

"Not all of them. Surely the leaders must be – as Samuel Lyle was – but many of them very well may be part of Circle Twilight; Supernaturals who were led astray. This is why the coming war must proceed with great caution. There is no way to tell which way a person's loyalties lay."

"You knew Samuel Lyle?"

"Not in life, no, but in death I found out much about him – which is why I'm such a valued member of this group. As a Necromancer, I am a seeker of truth – and have the power to find it. Most Necromancers feel the same way. Despite popular belief, we are a peaceful race and have no grand elusions of power. Some have fallen into darkness, which is bound to happen as with any race, but they are few and far between. Like Werewolves," He shot a look at Derek, "We have been given a bad 'rep' and are stereotyped."

"You said you've come across a lot of Werewolves in your past; why is that?" Derek questioned, speaking up for the first time.

"I'm not entirely sure why this happened, but Werewolves and Necromancers have formed a strong bond throughout the years. We are the only race that can watch – and understand – a transformation fully; the magic used during a transformation is similar to that of the magic it takes to raise spirits, and our bodies are better able to cope with it than other Supernatural's."

"What do you mean, 'similar magic'?"

"Well, when you transform, you must pull your own spirit forward. Wait, no, I'm not explaining this right. You have the spirit of a wolf inside you – you may not feel it yet, but it will grow. This spirit is part of you, but in human form it can barely make contact with you. During transformation, you are pulling the wolf spirit to the surface and giving it a body of it's own to control. As Chloe could tell you, it is a very similar process to pull a spirit through from the other side and make it visible. That is why it is helpful for Werewolves to have a Necromancer around, and vice-versa. You two are lucky you have each other around; it'll make training so much easier."

My mind was reeling. All those times that I had been there for Derek and he had been there for me – did we make our own decisions, or were we thrown together as part of a grand design? I had to admit, it made sense. I stole a look at Derek – he was nodding.

He looked over at me, and I saw the corners of his mouth turn up slightly. "Hear that, Chloe? I guess we're stuck together for a little while longer." I couldn't help but smile – Oh the horror!

**Authors Note: **Aren't you proud of me? Two chapters in as many days! Hopefully my 'theories' aren't too outside the box for you all to understand… I tried to explain as best I could… Reviews, although unnecessary, would be nice.


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors Note: **I am sooo sorry! My only excuse is that my sister (Who is my best friend.) surprised us all by coming home early! So I'm spending every possible moment with her before she goes back to England. School has also been crazy, as is being a Brownie leader. I may take quite a while to update this story but I WILL finish it, even if it kills me! (Which it might…) By the way, this chapter is going up Un-Edited so you don't have to wait any longer. Sorry for any grammatical errors.

"_Hear that, Chloe? I guess we're stuck together for a little while longer." I couldn't help but smile – Oh the horror!_

Chaim smiled, "Yes, it would be a good idea for you to make yourselves available to each other; incase you should ever need help. Derek, I hear you have not yet made a full transformation."

Derek nodded, "Is that normal? I mean, with the Edison Group playing around with our genetics, I'd like to be sure that I'm following a regular path with my transformations."

"Well, beyond starting a little early and the suddenness of you symptoms, you seem to be progressing normally. Typical Werewolves have 5 or 6 partial-transformations before changing completely. There is a myth that those who have the least partials are the strongest, as their bodies were obviously better able to cope with the pain of changing. The Werewolves with the least amount of partial-transformations recorded were Remus and Romulus, the first Werewolves, with 3 partials each. Jeremy, the pack leader in Syracuse, had four."

I paled, at least 3 more partial-transformations? I looked at Derek, although he was better at hiding his emotions than I was, I could still read the panic on his face. My resolve strengthened; I would be there for Derek, no matter how long it took! No one should have to go through that pain all by themselves. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

"As for you Chloe - if what you let slip to me this morning is true - your powers have been heightened. This shouldn't cause too many problems; as you have already taken the first steps towards learning to control your mind. A few more meditation sessions with me and I'm sure you will feel comfortable enough to test your control while asleep. That will be your 'homework', meet me at midnight tonight in this room and we will go from there. Derek, you will write in…" He pulled out an old leather bound journal, "this. Try to recall all you can about your past – When you first got your symptoms, your partial changes – Anything you can remember will help me figure out just exactly where you are." Derek and I were silent. Chaim sighed, "You're dismissed!"

Derek and I stood slowly and stepped outside the room. We took maybe five steps before the silence was killing me. "So what did you think of Chaim?"

Derek just shrugged but when I continued to look expectantly up at him he caved. "He seems nice enough, and it sounds like he knows what he's talking about. Although some of the things he talked about I had definitely never heard of before. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

"Yeah, I guess so." I agreed. Sighing, I turned and started off down the hall with one destination in mind.

"Where are you rushing off to?"

"Tori said something interesting to me earlier today- I wanted to ask some questions about it." I explained, turning to look at Derek. "You're more than welcome to come with me- I could use your help." He nodded and caught up to me in a few long strides.

We walked in silence to Tori's room – I was silently praying that she had calmed down enough to talk. I took a deep breath and knocked softly on her door. A groan and a mumbled comment came from the other side. I couldn't hear it but from the look on Derek's face – it wasn't very friendly.

"Tori, It's Chloe. I came to talk." I called out for good measure.

"Yeah Yeah! Keep your pants on! I'm coming." Tori yelled out. I looked at Derek and chocked back a laugh.

"If I didn't know any better I would think that the great Derek is afraid of Tori." I whispered and nudged him with my elbow.

"My dad always told me that you should never underestimate the power of a cranky woman – especially if you don't have any chocolate."

"He sounds like a smart man." I said as I looked up to wink at him. I paused for a moment – noticing the changes that had come over Derek. He looked so alone for just a moment. He must miss his dad terribly, but he wasn't alone. Smiling softly I turned back to the door just as Tori opened it.

The smile slid off my face quickly as I took her in. She looked angrier than I had even seen her. My prayers were apparently not answered.

"Maybe I'll just wait out here." Derek whispered in my ear – clearly panicked. I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. If I had to face Tori, I wasn't doing it alone.

**Authors Note: **sorry that was so short. It was a deceivingly hard chapter to write. Hopefully the next one will be easier, I have most of it planned out already. I also have another one-shot on the way so you can look forward to more soon. Hopefully you won't ever have to wait this long again.

I had a reviewer say that I should demand reviews. I don't really want to do that because I don't want you guys to think you have to, but a little encouragement and advice would be great as I'm not entirely sure how to continue. Again, thanks for taking the time to read this. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors Note: **So I'm really excited! I'm getting the biggest number of hits so far for this story! I want to thank all of you who have read and give a special shout out to the people who review. I'd also like to thank those who requested I write a continuation for Building Sandcastles. Although I'm not planning on continuing per-say, I've now been given an idea for later on in this story. ;) Here's Chapter 8… Hope you enjoy!

"_Maybe I'll just wait out here." Derek whispered in my ear – clearly panicked. I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. If I had to face Tori, I wasn't doing it alone._

"Make it quick!" Tori snapped, as she ushered us inside, "And you better not have any fleas!" She shot Derek a glare over her shoulder.

I walked over to her bed and flopped down on the corner. Both Derek and Tori were leaning against the wall, arms crossed and wearing matching scowls.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened during your training session with Faye," I started, trying to keep my tone as light as possible.

"Well, I don't. So if you'd kindly leave…" Tori grumbled, as she started towards the door.

"Tori, wait." I stood slowly and started walking towards her, "Don't you find it strange that someone who claims to want to help us would use 'abomination' to describe us? That's a pretty harsh word - even if you are angry." By now I was standing not 3 feet from Tori, with Derek – still leaning against the wall – between us.

"You don't mean…" Tori's eyes got wide.

"Look, I don't know, but this seems like something they're capable of; we are in the middle of a war."

"If what you're saying is true, then what are we going to do? We can't let her know that we know, and we have no proof." Tori turned to face me.

"We'll just have to be careful – very careful. We should also tell some of the people we _know _we can trust."

"Like Simon?" Tori suggested.

"Yeah, Simon definitely, Chaim, Andrew and Rowan are probably ok too, but we'll have to wait to make sure."

"Yeah, ok…"

"I feel like I'm watching a tennis match here!" Derek growled- obviously upset about being left out of the conversation. Tori and I both turned to stare at him, shocked by the outburst. "What we need to do is keep an eye on Faye without her knowing that someone is watching."

"Brilliant as always, Wolf-Boy! And how are we supposed to do that? You got any other great plans that you…."

"_Liz!_"

"Excuse me?" Tori's gaze turned to me.

"Liz." I looked at Derek and – by the smile on his face- knew that we were on the same page. "I can try to contact Liz and ask her to watch Faye and the others for anything suspicious. She won't be able to go everywhere – I'm sure there are blocks up in all the Edison group buildings – but she can keep an eye out for us."

"Oh," Tori huffed and turned to Derek, "Just a lucky guess. I'm not impressed with your freaky wolf-boy knowledge. It'll take a lot more for you to earn a cookie."

Derek rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the wall. "Well if that's all we have to talk about, I should probably go find Simon and let him in on what's going on."

I watched him as he strode out of the room. Sighing, I turned to Tori. "Why do you have to be such a bitch to him all the time?"

"What do you mean?" The scowl was back on her face.

"You're always so nasty to him! I know he's not always the easiest person to get along with, but I hate to break it to you; neither are you! All he's done this entire time is look out for us."

Cursing softly she turned away, "More like look out for _you_."

I could tell she hadn't meant for me to hear her, but I did. "What are you talking about, Tori? Derek cares about your safety just as much as mine."

"I wouldn't bet on it." She looked at me over her shoulder, "You really are clueless."

The evening from then on passed much more smoothly then the past few days had in the safe house. It was nice to have the old Simon back – laughing and flirting. The mood around the dinner table was light – Most of the members were out on missions, meaning Tori, Simon, Derek, Rowan and I were left to our own devices.

After dinner, Derek and I drew the short straws and had to clear and wash the dishes while the others went off to watch a movie. I walked into the kitchen and let the water run. I looked off into the dining room and caught Derek scratching at his forearm. Looking back down at the water I frowned. Was he starting another partial change? I hoped he would tell me, especially after everything Chaim had said.

"Is the water warm yet Chloe?"

I jumped, sending water spilling onto the floor. "Yeah, I guess. Here, let me help you with those." I turned a little too quickly to take some plates from Derek and felt my feet slip out from underneath me. The moment my butt hit the floor I winced – that was going to smart for days.

"Chloe! Are you okay?" His question may have sounded worried, but there was amusement in his eyes as he gave me his hand to help me up.

"Yeah, yeah! Lets just get to work."

I added soap to the water and loaded up the sink with glasses and cutlery. "Chloe, about raising Liz," Derek started, taking a sudsy dish from me and wiping it dry, "Do you think you'll be able to do it? You don't have anything tied to her anymore."

"I'm not really sure," I mumbled. I was slightly hurt that Derek didn't have faith in my abilities, but I knew he was right – it would be very difficult. "I guess I don't really have a choice though. I've got to try."

"I guess, it's just…" He paused.

"It's just what?" I turned to look at him. He was picking at an imaginary spot on one of the dishes, his eyes down cast.

"Just promise me you won't push yourself too hard." He locked eyes with me for only a second, but genuine worry was there this time.

**Authors Note: **So because you were all such good little reviewers I decided to update really quickly! Hopefully you all liked the little Derek/Chloe moments… There aren't many yet in this story but I do try to keep all you shippers interested. If you haven't yet read my one-shot Building Sandcastles, I recommend you do. It doesn't pertain to this story yet, but it might in the future. Thanks again for all the lovely reviews; I'm glad that you all seem to be liking this so far.


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors Note: **Yeah I know… Bad authoress! I have no excuse! But I did just finish reading the Otherworld Series so now I can think about bringing in some more of the ideas from that series… which I did a bit in the chapter, although it will only be explained in the next chapter… I don't own anything… unfortunately

"_Just promise me you won't push yourself too hard." He locked eyes with me for only a second, but genuine worry was there this time. _

That night, as I was beginning training with Chaim, I had a lot on my mind. Who could I trust? I knew Faye was probably out, but I couldn't bring myself to believe that Chaim was lying as well. I snuck a peak at him. He just couldn't be against us.

"Chloe, you're supposed to have you're eyes closed." Chaim chided as he opened one eye. "What's on your mind child?"

"It's… It's nothing. I'm just having problems focusing." Chaim raised his eyebrow.

"You know I'm not just here to be your teacher. As your mentor I can try to reassure you if you let me." I stayed quiet. Chaim turned to me, "I won't force you to tell me anything, but know that I'm here."

The silence that followed was almost too hard to bear but somehow, in those few minutes, I knew that Chaim could be trusted. Whether he would believe me was another story entirely.

"If I'm going to tell you this you have to promise me two things." I looked him in the eye as he nodded, "First, that you will not interrupt me and second… that you won't tell a _soul_." Chaim looked shocked for a moment but regrouped and nodded again. "Alright," I paused, not knowing how to continue. "I, _we've,_ been having some doubts about the loyalties of certain members. Neither of us have had much contact with Cari, Neah or Brendan, but Faye has said some things to Tori in her training that has us a little worried. According to Tori, Faye called us _abominations_. It just set us all on edge. Those were the kinds of words that the Edison Group let slip when they thought we weren't listening. We thought that if we could contact a spirit and convince them to help, we could keep an eye on Faye and the others; see if they really are who they say. But I'll need your help."

"Chloe, I'm not so sure that that's a good idea." I tried to protest, but Chaim raised his hand to silence me, "Not that you shouldn't be worried. You're right, Faye should not have used that word, and I've been having some doubts myself about the motivations of the others, but how are you sure that whatever spirit we summon will give us an accurate account? Spirits tend to be a little less than savory; especially when dealing with necromancers. They like to be left alone."

"Well, that's why I need your help see? I could summon just any spirit and ask for its help; but what if I wanted to summon a particular spirit? One that I _know _will help."

Silence. I could tell that Chaim was thinking so I didn't push. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but I'll try."

And so started the grueling process of brainstorming ways of contacting Liz. Hours passed and we still had no definite ideas.

I was still pondering Chaim's last idea, something about sending out my power gently into the world and seeing if Liz could sense it and come to me on her own, when I noticed the first rays of sunlight coming through a gap in the curtains.

I stretched out, muscles aching from sitting in one spot for so long. This was just perfect, now I would be tired all day. Chaim stood and drew the curtains wide. The sun was just creeping over the horizon, painting the sky beautiful colours.

"Well I think we should hold off for now, the others will be awake soon. Go clean up and I'll start on Breakfast." Chaim nodded towards the door as he yawned. I looked at him, slightly worried. "Don't worry about me Chloe, this isn't my first all-nighter. And it certainly won't be my last."

I smiled and stood up slowly, bones creaking in protest. Stiff legged I walk down the stairs to my room, mind lost in thought.

By the time I got to the door I had reached a decision. Although most of our ideas for summoning Liz were impossible, or at the very least improbable, Chaim's last suggestion had struck a chord with me. And it was one I could try by myself.

I crawled onto my bed and sat in the typical cross legged position of meditation and tried to focus my mind. It was harder than usual because this time, I had a lot to lose. Finally I had wiped the last worry from my mind. Now to try sending out my power. I thought about Liz, I thought about needing her help and I tried to send that through to 'the other side.' It was kind of like the reverse of what I normally did; giving energy instead of taking, and was twice as hard. After just a few minutes I was already exhausted, sweat rolled down my forehead. 'Liz, if you can hear this, come' I sent the thought out. Opening my eyes I was disappointed that Liz wasn't there. Although I guess if I was honest with myself I wasn't surprised. I had never tried this before and it would probably take so much longer to perfect.

But I didn't have the time to wait till I had perfected it. I needed Liz. I pushed harder, mentally screaming. 'I need you!'

That was the last thing I remembered.

**Authors Note: **So there it is… Chapter 9… sorry that it's short… I just thought this made a great point to end the chapter. Reviews would be nice. :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note: **Woot! Two chapters in one day! Aren't you proud of me? I'm really trying to get back into this story now that I know a bit more about the world Kelley created. Hope you like it!

_That was the last thing I remembered._

My brain felt fuzzy. I could barely focus enough to realize that something was gripping my shoulders. I opened my eyes and saw two eyes, the colour of sea-glass, staring back at me. The colour reminded me of time spent on the beach, sandcastles and a little red bucket that I had as a child.

"Chloe! Chloe, talk to me dammit!" the worried tone made me scrunch up my brow. Who was calling me and why was he worried? I blinked a few times and a familiar face swam before me.

"D-d-d-erek? What… what happened?" I was surprised at how weak my voice felt and winced as talking hurt my throat.

"You tell me! One moment I was sleeping the next thing I know I'm hearing you screaming 'I need you'. Then I get here and you're passed out on the bed, drenched in sweat."

"I screamed? I-i-i don't remember." I looked away, turning my gaze to my room, as if _it_ could give me the answers I needed. "Did I wake everyone else up?"

Derek opened his mouth to answer then, as if thinking better of it, shut it. He was obviously listening to the others. He looked confused. "No, I don't think so. But you should have. I'm on the other side of the house and even without werewolf hearing Tori should have heard you, these walls are paper thin."

I turned back to Derek and searched his eyes for some kind of clue as to what he was thinking, but like always, he hid everything. "Well we'll just have to go talk to her then. See if she heard anything. What time is it?"

"Just after 7," Derek answered, looking at my bedside clock, "breakfast should be ready soon anyways so it should be okay to wake her up."

So we did. And what did we get for our troubles? An angry Tori.

"What kind of person do you think I am? You think that I would hear my friend screaming and just roll over and go back to sleep? Now out! I'll be done in a minute."

"Well that was no help," I sighed. When Derek didn't comment I turned to look at him. He was lost in thought and I figured I'd let him stay there. He'd talk when he was ready.

We walked in silence to the kitchen and sat down at the table that was already filled with food. As I dug in Derek leaned in closer to me, eyes darting slightly to see if anyone was watching. I could feel the heat coming off of him and once again wondered if he was changing soon.

After making sure no one was looking his eyes fell to mine and I felt that familiar un-named feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Don't tell anyone about what happened, okay? Just give me time to figure it out." He whispered. I nodded then leaned in closer. I swear his breath caught for a moment until I whispered back, "We should talk to Chaim."

We continued to eat without talking until Rowen plopped down on the bench beside Derek and punched his playfully in the arm. "So you ready to train with me today Fido?"

Derek looked up at Rowen with confusion, and then looked back down at his plate only to realize that Rowen was slowly pulling it towards him, a playful look in his eyes. "You keep that up Rowen and you'll find a fork in you hand. Training sounds great; it'll be nice to work out some of my frustration."

Rowen chuckled and took his hand off Derek's plate and winked at me, "I promise I'll go easy on 'im. So I figure we'll wait until after lunch, it's a little chilly out there right now… not that it would bother you." Derek just grunted, keeping his eye on his plate.

If they were training after lunch that would give me and Derek time to talk to Chaim. He knew a lot about werewolf and necromancer relationships, maybe he could figure out what had happened this morning.

"Morning!" Simon called cheerfully from the doorway. I really dislike morning people.

Gruff 'good mornings' can from me and Derek while Rowen just looked up and smiled. "How's your training going Simon?" I asked as he joined us at the table.

"Fine I guess, it was better before Tori joined us," we all gave him a blank look; "Faye won't work with Tori anymore so until they can get another witch to come here Tori's training with me and Andrew. She seems to think it's funny that even with sorcerer spells she's stronger than I am." He said with a sour look on his face, "It's irritating."

"I'll just bet it is, being beaten by a girl." Tori sighed as she walked into the room and sat next to Simon.

Rowen laughed and I smiled. We finished eating talking a little about training but mostly we just ate in silence.

After all the plates were cleared, Derek looked over at me and nodded discreetly towards the stairs, saying that we should take this time to talk to Chaim.

I started up the stairs without waiting for him to catch up, I knew he would follow. As my foot fell onto the third step I swayed slightly. Apparently this morning had taken a lot out of me. I paused to catch my breath and felt Derek stop behind me. I turned and looked at him. Although I was on the third step, I was barely and inch taller than him as he stood on the landing.

"We need to talk, Chloe. _Before_ we go see Chaim." He strode up the steps nudging me slightly as he passed me. I sighed; I had hoped that he wouldn't ask what I was doing this morning.

But he did ask. And I told him everything. He glowered at me, "Did I not say that you shouldn't push yourself?" He hissed. I opened my mouth to protest but he just lifted his hand to silence me. "No, I know that we need to contact Liz but you should have told me what you were trying. It was reckless and right now we can't afford to take chances like that." The anger had gone out of his voice but I could see he was still upset about it. He probably just wished he could have been there.

He sighed and turned to leave the room. When I didn't follow he looked over his shoulder and shot a look at me. "Come on, let's figure this out."

Chaim was sitting at the desk in his room writing. He jumped slightly when we knocked but welcomed us in with a smile. "Did we have a lesson planned? I'm sorry must have forgotten."

"No, no. We just wanted to ask you something, if you're not too busy that is." I said in a rush. I took a deep breath, not know why I was so nervous.

"No not at all! Ask away." He gestured to the love seat that was sitting at the foot of the bed and turned his chair around so that he could face us.

Derek closed the door behind us as we walked over and sat down. He looked over at me, silently telling me to go first. I took another deep breath and started.

"When I left our session this morning, I wanted to get started on trying to contact Liz. So I did, I'm not sure if I was doing it wrong but she never came. So, I tried harder… I know not a smart thing to do but I had to, we don't have much time. The last thing I remember thinking was 'I need you' and then waking up with Derek shaking me."

Chaim nodded a bit at the pause and then turned to Derek. "And why did you go to Chloe?"

"I heard her scream 'I need you' and thought something was wrong. So I ran into her room and she was passed out." He shrugged as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

"What time did you hear her scream?"

"I'm not sure, a little after 7 am I think, why?"

Chaim looked confused. "Well, I was awake at that time and not too far away from Chloe's room and I certainly didn't here her scream."

"Yeah, neither did Tori and she has the room right next to mine." I added.

"Hmmm… Derek, this may seem like a strange question, but I need you to think very hard about the answer. When Chloe screamed, did it seem like you were hearing with your ears, or was it more of a mental scream?"

We both looked long and hard at Derek. Although he looked slightly put off by the question, he seemed to be giving his answer great thought. After a few seconds his eyes lit up and even before he spoke I knew the answer. "It seemed like I heard it in my mind."

Chaim looked surprised for just a moment then smiled sadly. "Derek, do you know who your father is?"

**Authors Note: **So that was chapter 10… hopefully you all enjoyed it. If you've read the Otherworld series I bet you can guess who Derek's father is… and I know it's not very creative considering plenty of other people have come to the same conclusion as me… but I couldn't help myself! I'd just love it to be true!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Authors Note: **HELLLLLOOOO! Long time no see! I imagine quite a few of you returning readers are thinking: Holy $#% Girl Where Have You Been!? I apologize profusely for not updating… I know it's been a few years and I'm sure most of you are not interested in a story to take the place of The Reckoning. I mean, Kelley did a phenomenal job of it. However, I really need to get back into the swing of things and I thought that I would brush off the dust, so to speak, by returning to this story. Training wheels right? But I digress. For those of you newbies… welcome to my story! (Although I hope you've now read the first 10 chapters or you may be a bit confused) Incase you haven't noticed, this is not cannon! I started this story long before Reckoning came out and therefore I realize a lot of this is COMPLETELY off. I would also like to state that, although I have finally updated, I'm not sure I will continue this story. If anyone would like to advise me on how to go about either a) Re-writing this so that it goes along with what happened in The Reckoning, as well as Darkness Rising or b) Scrapping it entirely and starting anew I would be open to recommendations. PM's and reviews are always open.

_Chaim looked surprised for just a moment then smiled sadly. "Derek, do you know who your father is?"_

Derek stared at Chaim, I stared at Derek.

After a few minutes of silence I realized that Derek wasn't going to ask what needed to be asked. "You know who Derek's father is?"

Chaim shook his head. "Not for certain, just intuition. I'm sorry Derek; I shouldn't have gotten your hopes up like that. Just give me a few days to work my contacts, find some answers."

Derek still looked shocked but he nodded stiffly and let me lead him from the room.

"Derek?" I asked tentively, still holding onto his elbow. He didn't answer. "Derek, look at me!" I was failing at keeping the panic out of my voice, he looked so lost.

After a quick shake of his head, he turned to look at me, eyes sharply focused. "I'm fine," he looked down at my hand, "you can let go now." I dropped his arm so fast you'd swear I was burnt.

"Are you sure? I mean, this is your father Chaim is trying to find. This is huge!"

"I already have a Dad, who we're also trying to find, so excuse me if I don't rush off on an epic quest for a glorified sperm donor." The coldness in Derek's voice made me shiver, even though it wasn't really directed at me. I knew how he must be feeling. This man had given Derek up to live in a laboratory; he wouldn't be winning any father of the year prizes that's for sure.

"But, you still want to find him right? Whoever he is, he could help you with your transformations; teach you things about being a werewolf." Derek just shrugged.

I threw my hands up in frustration and muttered under my breath as I walked off. I'm sure Derek heard all the things I called him but if he didn't care, neither did I!

I spent the rest of the morning hiding out in my room. There wasn't much to do but I figured I should at least take advantage of having the bathroom all to myself. After a long, hot shower I was starting to feel a little more human, and a little less angry. After all this time with Derek, how could I even for one second forget what he was like? I should know better by now; I should know that when he acts out like this it's either because he a) doesn't have all the facts or b) is angry at himself.

I left my room with every intention of finding Derek and apologizing, but he found me first.

"Chloe, lunch is ready." I looked at him and could tell that there was more he wanted to say, things he was holding back.

"What is it Derek?" I snapped, "I know you're dying to say something so spit it out." So much for apologizing.

"I just… I wanted to ask you… Just don't say anything to the others about this morning alright? I don't want to give anyone else a reason to be worried."

"Whatever Derek, it's not my place anyway." And for the second time that day I turned and walked away, muttering under my breath.

Lunch was quiet, or at least it seemed that way to me. I was trying very hard not to notice the glances Derek kept shooting my way, as if expecting me to air out his dirty laundry right there at the table. I meant what I said; it wasn't my place to tell anyone. Did I think hiding things was going to make it easier? No. Did I think my opinion counted at all with Derek? Cleary not. Did that hurt? As much as I wished I could say no, the truth was that it did, a lot.

"So you ready to rumble, Fido?" Rowan asked, flashing Derek a healthy grin from across the table, just to show there were no hard feelings.

"I guess so; I don't have much of an appetite today anyway." Derek grumbled, again shooting me a look.

The smile slid from Rowan's face for just a second as he looked from Derek to me. It returned at full wattage as he turned to me, "Care to join us Chloe? The others are in training all afternoon. Plus, it'll be fun to watch me wipe the floor with good ol' Lassie here!"

I'm not proud of it, but my laugh at that moment had a lot more venom in it than usual.

**Authors Note: **So yeah… I think the one up top said everything that needed to be said. Hope you enjoyed, reviews are awesome.


End file.
